KIA Complaints

The contact owns a 2022 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled while idling on several occasions. Additionally, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact scanned the vehicle with a vehicle scanner, and the DTC: P1C28 was retrieved, which the contact related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V531000 (Power Train); however, the model year was not included in the recall. The contact later became aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), and the vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair. The dealer diagnosed that the engine oil pump needed to be replaced, and the contact was informed that the repair was not covered under the recall. The contact stated that the oil pump failure might also be related to the oil piston rings failure described in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but declined to cover the cost of the repair. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.

Contact Information: •Name: [XXX] •Contact: Phone: [XXX] Email: [XXX] •Location: Hawaii Vehicle Information: •Year / Make / Model: 2021 Kia Soul S •VIN: [XXX] •Mileage: 133,000 miles Recall Reference: •Verified NHTSA recall for VIN: [XXX] Kia Consumer Affairs Case Number: XXX ? Complaint Description 1.I received a notification of an NHTSA safety recall for this vehicle. In February 2025, I responded to that notification by contacting Kia. My husband followed up in March 2025 with the dealer, but we did not receive any follow-up regarding inspection or repair. 2.On Tuesday, 12/16/2025, I contacted the dealership again; I was told someone from the service department (believed to be named Colton) would call me back. I have not yet received a callback. 3.Today, I visited the dealer in person. The service department did not document the symptoms reported in my Kia Consumer Affairs case #XXX. 4.The earliest the dealer can see the car is Friday at 9:30 a.m., despite confirming that the car is part of an active safety recall. 5.Current symptoms include: •Engine overheating •Excessive oil consumption (1 quart lost in days) •Check engine light illuminated •Blue smoke from the exhaust •Engine rattling / vibration •A/C inoperable 6.The vehicle is unsafe to drive due to these symptoms. 7.Kia Consumer Affairs, via Gina, stated: •The dealer does not have loaner vehicles available •If I rent a vehicle, Kia will only reimburse $43.19 per day, and I must go through a reimbursement process 8.Given the known safety concerns of the recall and the severity of current symptoms, the dealer must be responsible for providing a safe vehicle immediately while inspection and repairs are addressed. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormally loud sound coming from under the hood. In addition, the vehicle lost motive power, and the engine seized. No warning lights were illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the contact was informed that the repair was not covered under warranty. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the failure was due to the detached crankshaft bearings. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the contact stated that the dealer disassembled the engine and the transmission. The contact stated that when the vehicle was released back to the contact, several parts were missing from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The contact was informed that several of the parts of the vehicle were missing. The vehicle was being repaired. In addition, the contact stated that she had owned three Kia vehicles, and each vehicle experienced the same failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became loose, vibrated, and made a knocking sound. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and a dealer, and it was determined that the steering coupler needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 122,000.

Several times in the past year the power steering has spontaneously failed requiring significant Force to stabilize the vehicle and creating an obvious Hazard while driving. The forward Collision system indicates there's a fault while this occurs. Sometimes this is cleared by cycling the power on and off. The vehicle has been inspected by the dealer who indicated they cannot locate the source of the problem. Even a casual search / look at Community Bulletinboards online indicates that this is a much larger problem that Kia refuses to address. https://www.kia-forums.com/threads/loss-of-power-steering-when-driving.84792/

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while taking the vehicle in for an oil change, the contact was informed that the engine was not consuming oil, which caused concern because the vehicle had previously been fueled by the contact. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 114,000.

The contact owns a 2023 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the instrument cluster display screen failed to activate and was inoperable. During the failure, the driver was unable to view several needed features, such as the speedometer and fuel gauge, and the blind spot monitoring system. The vehicle was cautiously driven to the dealer, who diagnosed that the instrument cluster screen was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 82,000.

On Monday, Dec 15 at approximately 3:30 pm I was pulling into my parking spot in front of my house. The vehicle suddenly revved loudly and shot forward striking a tree in my front yard. If not for the tree would have ended up in the kitchen. When parking I do not have to apply gas once I enter the lot as I can drift into the spot. I barely have to brake to stop the vehicle. The steering wheel airbag deployed, fortunately no serious injuries. The passenger front end was pretty much gone and two big branches were sheared off at ground level. Police responded, report #XXX [XXX] Sheriff office. Vehicle is due to get to the body shop today or tomorrow. Fortunately this happened where it did as if it had been in traffic or around people it could have been very serious. This was also reported to Kia. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

On three occasions, my car cutoff on me. Once on the highway at 60+ mph. The dash would go out, then all indicator icons popped on. I've been to the dealer twice & now a third time. They found nothing. AAA diagnosed low alternator once.

Component/System Involved: The vehicle experienced a brief electrical failure affecting multiple systems simultaneously: exterior headlights, infotainment system, and dashboard indicators (seatbelt warning). All components recovered automatically within approximately 0.5–1 second. The issue appears electrical in nature (possible power interruption, grounding issue, BCM/TCM-related event). The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Safety Risk: Yes. The headlights shut off completely while driving at night, even if only momentarily. This created a visibility loss and increased risk of collision, especially with surrounding traffic. The sudden loss and restoration of lighting was distracting and unexpected. Reproduction / Confirmation: The issue has occurred 4 times under different conditions (day/night driving). It has not yet been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. Inspection Status: The vehicle has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer, dealer, police, insurance, or any third party regarding this issue. Warnings or Prior Symptoms: There were no warning lights, messages, or symptoms prior to the failure. The only indication was the seatbelt warning light illuminating during the event, coinciding with the blackout. No prior alerts appeared before either occurrence.I have experienced this electrical dropout four times over the ~1 year and 4 months I’ve owned the vehicle. Other owners of 2025 Kia K5s have reported the same momentary blackout behavior in online community discussions, indicating this may not be an isolated incident with my car. Owners have described the infotainment and instrument panel going dark and then returning to normal while driving.